How to install SDD drive into Asus laptop?

I'm not a computer person at all. I have not a slightest clue how to open a laptop. I tried once and i messed something up back a while ago.



I have an Asus U45JC-A1 Laptop and had it for a few years already.



Amazon.com: ASUS U45JC-A1 14-Inch Thin and Light Laptop - Up to 10 Hours of Battery Life: Computers & Accessories


Its specs are

Windows 7 64 Bit
I3 M370 Processor @ 2400ghz
4gb ram
5400rpm


I purchased a samsung 250gb ssd drive for my laptop.



Amazon.com: Samsung MZ-7TD250BW 840 Series Solid State Drive (SSD) 250 GB Sata 2.5-Inch: Electronics



The thing is I'm going to have a friend help me install the ssd drive because he has experience with laptops and installing ssd. My question is besides bringing the laptop and ssd, what else would i have to bring? I know you need a screwdriver but does anyone know the model that is needed for my asus u45jc-a1 laptop to open it up? I dont want to get there and then my friend can't open up my laptop because of this.



Also, how long would it take to install the SSD? I read online that it takes 15 minutes usually and thats it? But then you have to add another 1 hour or so to install windows 7 correct? I have the windows 7 cd for my asus laptop and the cd with the utilities.



So it would be install the ssd drive, take out the old hard drive and then install windows 7 with my asus CD correct? Another thing is I don't plan to keep anything in my laptop, i want everything erased. So that means installing the ssd should be pretty easy?

 

To do this properly - with a fully updated Windows install with updated drivers, etc.

Be prepared for at least 3 to 6 hours - depending on how fast your internet connection is (for updates) and what your install media is (if CD/DVD's - ugh... if USB key (not HDD) - then the installs/upgrades can be an order of magnitude faster.

Don't forget to COPY your data back to the system - don't MOVE it (you want to use the system for a few days/weeks to make sure it is 100% stable/reliable.


As for the 'what else part'?

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sol...arks-brands-news-advice-1065.html#post9292781


Also, search for my name and notebookreview.com in google - you'll find many more tips than I have time to link now.


Good luck.

 

Im confused. So to take the old hard drive out of my laptop and put the ssd in, that should take no more than 15 minutes right?


The installing takes 3-6 hours that long?? We will have high speed internet. Does this include the installing windows 7 and the utilities? I had thought it take 15 minute to put ssd in drive, then it take 1 hour to install windows 7 disk and utilities and then im good to go...


I don't have any data that i want to back up in my laptop. Again i won't be doing this as my friend would be since he knows how to do it. But i didn't expect it to take this long...

 

Drew...Tiller is absolutely correct. You need to allow a good deal of time for this. Though it "may" go quicker than expected... prepare for the worst.

I just looked at a picture of the underside of your notebook (reviewed here at NBR) and it looks like the HDD is located directly under the left wrist rest (largest compartment underneath). Use a small hobby size Phillips head to remove the two access panel screws and then the screws that hold the drive in place. The drive may also be in a caddy. If so, you'll need to swap the drive to the caddy, then re-install in the notebook.

That's the quick part... if you have no use for any data on the old drive. Installing windows including SP1 can take some time and though Win 7 will install most of the basic drivers, it would be helpful if you have a list of the specific devices on your notebook so that you know what you are looking for/at in device manager and know if you are missing anything. Once you get that done there are all the updates that can take over an hour. Finally there is SSD setup, cleanup, and windows tweaking. You can easily see 3-6 hours drift away if you take the time to do this correctly. If you slop through this you will likely be back here asking why your SSD isn't working right.

Also, I just installed a new Samsung 840 500GB a few days ago. Just as habit I initialized the drive before I did the install. I can't remember if the windows installer will do this for you (because I always check drives prior) but if the windows install doesn't work and won't install it's because the BIOS in your unit does not see the new un-initialized SSD. If that's the case, you'll need to initialize the drive on another win 7 or 8 machine.

Last, speaking of BIOS, if yours has a selection for AHCI mode it would be best if you select it prior to starting any of the above. If no selection is available in the BIOS then the unit should auto-select when it sees the SSD.

A little out of order... but I'm sure you get the idea. This is going to take a while.

Nice notebook, Best

Dave

 

Taking the HDD out and putting the SSD in, by itself, will probably be 10-15 minutes. Windows installs usually within an hour or so (at least with 7), but a fresh, clean install of Windows will require you to download all the updates that have been released since then (which will take a few hours, depending on ISP connection speed).

Just make sure that you protect yourself from static electricity(!) before touching *any* computer parts. It only takes a small fraction of the static electricity you feel when touching a doorknob to kill electronic equipment, so ground yourself.

 

Installing the SSD: 10-15 mins
Installing Windows to SSD from a USB drive: 10-15 minutes (10 mins on SATA 3)
What will take most of your time is doing the initial setup once Windows is installed, updating Windows, reinstalling your drivers and programs and then updating everything again. You will also have to migrate your data back to your computer.

If you download the drivers for your computer and installers for your programs before hand, you can split the time it takes in two parts:
1. Getting everything ready
2. Installing everything

It won't save you time, but it will allow you to split the process over two days if you don't have that much time each day.

With everything ready, it usually takes me around 2 hours to complete the install everything part, most of that time being taken by downloading and installing updates. Having a SSD really makes that whole install and reboot process faster. If it is your first time, it will take more than two hours.

 

Okay here is the thing. I will be installing the windows 7 from the CD that was given to me from Asus. I also have the utility cd from asus that i will be installing it from. Normally if i were to format my laptop, i say it takes around 1 hour to do everything as in installing windows 7 and then the downloading of utilities. I know what programs i will be installing, i will just be check marking the ones i need to install. Also this is assuming i dont wipe everything out of my hard drive because all those times i format my laptop, i never know how to wipe it clean.


We will be having cable internet speed. Does that mean this can probably be done in 2 hours total? Again, i won't be doing this myself, will be bringing it to a friend of mine to help me as he knows how to do this.


Im confused but the fresh clean install of windows 7 and the download all updates, isn't that what i do already when i formated my laptop previously? Yes it did take a bit i recalled.

 

Cable? That'd depend somewhat on how much your neighbors are using their cable connections (since cable is generally shared by a community, instead of an individual line to the subscriber like DSL). Regardless, 2-3 hours is a decent estimate.

 

A clean or fresh install is usually referred to as installing only Windows as in not the recovery discs that include everything that was on the original install installation form the OEM and then only installing the necessary drivers and programs you want. Compared to most OEM factory installs (which includes trial software, utilities that are useful and others that aren't), it makes for an overall slimmer installation. `

On my G73 it was 60 processes running vs 84 on the factory install, leaving more RAM free and the system feeling a bit more responsive. Note that a clean install is by no means a necessity vs a factory restore, but a lot of us at NBR prefer to decide what we have on our machines down to every little detail.

Now, given the age of your notebook, it is very likely that the CD Asus gave you is just plain Windows and the utility disc includes the drivers and utilities which means using those will pretty much amount to doing a clean install. Personally, I'd go through the list of utilities on the disc and only install the ones you want. This will help you choose: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/380681-asus-utility-bloatware-guide.html. You'll want at the very least ATK and the Wireless Console.

Installing from disc is a bit slower than from a USB drive, so expect 20 to 30 minutes for the Windows install.

 

Hi. Yes i know the laptop is old and i seen the asus utility and bloatware guide. That is actually the guide i use when i reinstall my windows 7 actually. And yes i only check what is required and recommmended according to that list.


What do you mean instalilng from a usb drive? I always installed from the cd as thats the only way i know how to do it.

 

How to create a bootable Windows 7 USB flash drive | Ars Technica

 

Does anyone know if i need a specific screwdriver for this laptop to open? Friend just asked me if i had the screwdriver or not.

 

Every Asus notebook I had required a small phillips screwdriver, pretty standard actually.

 

How many different types of these screwdrivers are there?

 

The size you want is a PH1. By the way, the screws should be visible under the notebook, take a look.

 

For everyone's future reference, the flat out quickest way to install an SSD would be to clear off any data on your current hard drive so that what's there can fit onto your new SSD, then have your friend clone the internal drive to the SSD via a USB -> SATA data/power connection. Then you just pop your new drive in and boot up. No downloading of updates.

On a USB 2.0 computer, this can take a while, though.